Addressing the media at the Botlehadi Primary School in Mangaung, she said she is pleased schools in the province have re-opened for the 3rd term without much hiccups. Following the announcement that primary learners will now attend schools on a daily basis for schools that are able to comply with Covid-19 regulations, Motshekga said she is pleased a number of schools in the Free State have followed suit. 

She announced that 80% of learners at the Botlehadi Primary School alone are attending school on a daily basis. Speaking alongside Education MEC Tate Makgoe, Motshekga also confirmed that the province is still facing challenges at schools with large capacity, especially in grades 4, 5, and 6.

Motshekga said social distancing in classrooms and compliance with all Covid-19 protocols remains a key priority.

She said schools that are not yet able to accommodate all learners are still making use of the rotation system and are working on measures to address their challenges.

“The MEC gave them until August 10 to present their challenges. We are also working on measures to see if a certain group could come in the morning for 4 hours and another in the afternoon, for as long as they can come to school on a daily basis. Another challenge faced when we have divided them into smaller groups relates to classrooms and the need for more teachers,” she said.

Accompanied by Education MEC Tate Makgoe, Motshekga visited the Botlehadi Primary School and Pholoho Special School on Thursday morning. VIDEOGRAPHER: Kekeletso Mosebetsi

She said about 60% of schools in the province have a majority of their learners attending school on a daily basis.

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